This is exactly what drives me nuts! I watch the carousel and wait, and wait, and wait... and all the while, my bag is sitting in the office/baggage room/locker because it's been there for two hours. If you ask before the last bag has arrived, the baggage staff tells you to wait until the last bag has popped out. So you're stuck. I have complained about this, because an early bag actually makes me late to my shuttle or bus. All of the priority tags in the world don't help if my bag was first off the earlier flight!

At BWI, at least the early bags are usually right by the carousel - so I can look before I wait. But at LAX, LAS, SFO, and TPA, I've had to wait in line for them to be released to my custody. But in any case, I also don't really like the idea of my bag circling on the belt when the earlier flight arrives, then sitting around outside and inside the baggage office. I've resigned myself to all of the risks that checked luggage face within the "secure" airport area... and now they are on revolving display to the general public!

And then when I've had a circuitous itinerary (like BWI-EWR-BOS-EWR-CLT) and politely inquired about having my bags short-checked (BWI-EWR-CLT) with a longer stay at the hub... I'm told that "bags must travel with the passenger on all flights for security reasons." Uh-huh. Riiiiight. :P